


Mac Gets Stood Up

by fandomfab16



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Dennis Has Big Feelings, Dennis POV, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-10-30 06:00:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20809706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomfab16/pseuds/fandomfab16
Summary: Mac's date doesn't show up, and Dennis is there to comfort him in his own unique way.





	Mac Gets Stood Up

**Author's Note:**

> This is loosely inspired by the episode title "Waiting For Big Mo". Also this really wasn't gonna have a happy ending, but it made me too sad and ain't nobody got time for that. Also can't believe we're really living in a post the gang gets romantic world we are truly blessed.

Dennis steps outside, the crisp night air making him shiver. He spots Mac instantly. He’s sitting on the curb, his shoulders hunched and arms wrapped around himself like it’ll protect him. He’s been sitting out here for an hour and a half, waiting for someone who isn’t going to come.

Pushing down the desire to flee back inside, Dennis takes a seat beside Mac. The pavement is disgusting and a little damp. Dennis wrinkles his nose. But their shoulders are pressed together, so he stays put. 

“He’s not coming, is he,” Mac sighs.

“I don’t think so, man,” Dennis replies, “But hey, if it makes you feel better I actually bet Charlie that he’d show.”

“No, Dennis,” Mac snaps, “My friends making bets about whether my date was gonna ditch me doesn’t make me feel better.” He sounds angry, a common occurrence for Mac, but Dennis suspects he’s glad of the excuse to feel anything but rejected.

Neither of them says anything for a minute after that. Silences are rare amongst them, there’s always some scheme or plan to make or a debate to have, and it’s nice to just sit in the quiet together.

Eventually, Mac sighs, “The worst part is, I actually really liked him.” Dennis’s stomach twists, “Not just cause he was hot, I mean clearly he was a beefcake, but he was, I don’t know, he was nice.” Mac’s slumped in on himself, moping like a dejected puppy.

“I don’t know,” Mac continues, running a hand through his hair as Dennis watches him, “I guess I thought he liked me too. Stupid of me.”

“It’s not stupid,” Dennis mumbles, and Mac gives him a look like Dennis is a puzzle that he’s trying to solve. Dennis looks away. Sometimes looking at Mac directly is more than he can handle.

“Do you think any of us will get a happy ending?” Mac asks suddenly, and Dennis glances at him in confusion. “I used to think that you and me and Charlie would turn our lives around eventually, do something worthwhile. But we’re past forty, man. What if that ship has sailed for us?” Dennis wonders abruptly what Mac’s version of a happy ending entails. He isn’t sure if he wants to know yet.

“I don’t know,” he responds carefully, a little wounded at the implication that he’s passed his primed (though, admittedly, he definitely has), “I don’t know about us, but Frank’s ship has definitely sailed.”

Mac snorts. It really should be unattractive. “And Dee,” Mac adds with an easy grin, “Everyone knows chicks age faster.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure she ever had a chance to begin with.”

Mac laughs again, and Dennis wishes for the millionth time it wasn’t everything he wants to hear.

Mac is grinning at him, “You know, Den,” the nickname soothes something in him he didn’t know was hurting, “You’re a pretty good friend.”

Dennis feels a flash of guilt like he’s been caught breaking the rules, back when he cared about things like rules. There’s no hiding from Mac that he came out here for the sole purpose of comforting him. No ulterior motive, no tricks, just a simple act of kindness. He knows, and Mac knows, they’re on the same page, but somehow Dennis still feels like he’s done something wrong.

Underneath that, there’s guilt because Dennis knows that what Mac is saying isn’t true. He’s a terrible friend. He tells Mac he hates him, yells at him constantly, scratches his face. He disappeared for almost 2 years with no contact.

He doesn’t say anything, because honestly what is there to say to that? But then Mac starts to look worried, like he said something wrong and he’s waiting for Dennis to blow up at him.

That’s not what Dennis wants, so he stands up and offers Mac his hand, “Come inside, it’s cold out here.” Mac hesitates for a fraction of a second, then takes his hand with a smile. He lets Dennis pulls him to his feet.

The bar is nearly empty when they get inside, just Dee behind the bar drying glasses.

“Great, you’re back, I’m leaving!” She grabs her purse and is out the door before Mac and Dennis can even begin to object.

“Goddamn bitch,” Dennis grumbles, and Mac grunts his agreement as they cross over to the bar. Dennis opens two beers and passes one to Mac over the bar.

They drink and chat for a bit, falling into the easy rhythm of 20 years of companionship. Dennis knows he’s still being overly nice, trying to make Mac feel better, but Mac keeps smiling at him with his eyes all soft, so Dennis doesn’t really care.

It’s fine, it’s all normal, until Mac laughs at something he says, and his hand lands on top of Dennis’s.

They both freeze, Dennis feels himself going tense on instinct. Mac’s hand is soft and warm, a little sweaty, but not enough that it’s unpleasant. Mac’s gaze flashes between their hands and Dennis’s face, then he pulls his hand away, practically flinching.

“Sorry,” Mac says, “I know you don’t want….” He trails off, but they both know what he means. _Don’t touch me. It’s never going to happen._

Dennis swallows his pride, a lifetime of denial, and a gallon and a half of nerves, “I don’t mind.”

Mac’s eyes snap up to his face. There’s a long pause as they stare at each other. Then Mac takes his hand across the bar.

Dennis’s heart is pounding. He thinks he might be blushing, the way Mac is looking at him like he hung the stars in the sky. He wants to say something, but his tongue feels too big for his mouth and his throat has closed up. He wonders, nonsensically, if he’s allergic to this, whatever it is.

Mac starts to say something, and his phone rings.

“Shit,” he says, and he pulls away to grab his phone. Dennis stares at Mac for a moment, blinking as if he’s coming out of a trance.

“Hello?” Mac says, and Dennis decides it would be weird for him to keep staring. He picks up a glass at random and starts drying it. It’s already dry. Whatever.

Mac is still on the phone. “No, it’s okay,” he says, pointedly not looking at Dennis, “I get it, yeah.” He pauses, then smiles, “Yeah let’s reschedule!” Dennis turns toward the back wall to put the glass away. Also so he won’t have to look at Mac anymore.

“Yeah, Tuesday sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

He hangs up, and Dennis steals himself, then turns back around.

Their eyes meet, and it’s immediately terrible.

“He locked his phone and his keys in his car.” Mac explains.

Dennis has always prided himself on his ability to put on a facade, but his voice still shakes, “You always did like them smart.”

Mac laughs, but it falls flat. They stare at each other some more.

Mac takes a deep breath, then says softly, “Look, if you don’t want me to go all you have to do is say so.”

The words are in Dennis’s mouth, _don’t go, stay with me, I’m ready now. I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t leave me._

Instead, what comes out is, “Do what you want, why would I care?”

Mac sighs, disappointed but not surprised. And why should he be surprised, really, it’s not like Dennis has a great track record with emotional vulnerability.

They don’t really talk while they finish closing up, and when Mac goes into the back office to lock up, Dennis takes a long swig from a bottle of tequila. The burn covers the taste of the lies he keeps telling himself. Mac comes back, and they head out the door towards Dennis's car.

It’s not that Dennis doesn’t want….all of that with Mac, he just can’t get out of his own way long enough to admit it. He only recently managed to admit it to himself, and it had scared him so much originally that he’d moved to a different state to avoid it. Not that it had made a difference.

They’re at the car now, and something about the sight of Mac next to his Range Rover sets Dennis heart on fire, and he makes a split second decision.

His hand is on Mac’s elbow and his turning him around before Dennis has time to think about it. Mac’s eyebrows are drawn tight like he’s confused, and it’s so familiar and so goddamn cute that any doubts that have crept into his mind in the last 2 seconds are drowned out by the warm buzz of Mac’s presence.

“What are you-“ Dennis kisses him in the middle of the sentence. Mac’s mouth stutters against his, matching Dennis’s heartbeat, and then it’s just warm and soft and _everything_.

Mac's lips are soft, his stubble scrapes Dennis's chin and his palm when he rests it on Mac's cheek. Dennis presses a little closer, into the warmth and the steadiness, and Mac let’s out a little gasp. His hand’s are curled around Dennis’s waist, carefully like he’s not sure if he’s allowed to touch.

Dennis pulls away and steps back. Mac’s staring at him with his mouth hung open, stupefied. Dennis swallows, clears his throat, then chickens out and walks around to the driver’s side door.

It takes Mac ten full seconds after Dennis has already gotten into the car to slide into the passenger seat. He still looks mildly shocked, but he’s also trying (and failing) to hide a smile. Dennis has the urge to roll his eyes.

Instead, he starts the car and focuses on driving home.

Mac breaks the silence a moment later, “Does this mean you want me to cancel the date?”

Dennis shoots him a look.

Mac grins, “I’ll cancel the date.”

Across the center console, Dennis takes his hand.


End file.
